Considering your very limited cruising time, you should consider renting a boat, say out
of the Abacos. You can safely cruise in most weather in their somewhat protected
chain of offshore islands, and there is plenty to see there. It will probably turn out to
be cheaper and way less hastle, plus your time will be spent at your destination, rather
than sailing there and back.

Sherwin D.

JR Lomas wrote:

Great advice, I will find out more about the wave height tolerance and
self-righting capacity of the MacGregor 25. I never thought about the
ballast, but on the positive side, the boat is trailerable as it is
also easily beachable.

sherwindu wrote:
I have sailed most of the Bahamas in a 22 foot Westerly, so length is not an issue.
However, I think the MacGregor 25 is a trailerable boat, so it's weak point is the lack
of enough ballast to handle rough weather. Your most dangerous part of that trip will
be crossing the Gulf Stream. At any time of the year, wait for the winds to clock around to the
South so you don't encounter steep waves formed by the northerly flow
of the stream. Your chances of Southerly winds are very much greater in the Summer, so that fits in
better with your limited time frame to cruise. Also the winds are generally much milder in the
Summer, but you will run into rain squalls. Your biggest problem seems to be limited time, since
with your boat you may have to sit in anchorage's waiting for the right weather. I sat in Little
Harbor Abaco with boats much larger than mine for several weeks one Winter, so you can expect delays
at that time of the year. If you were not in a hurry, such layovers could be a pleasant
experience.

Sherwin D.

JR Lomas wrote:

I have for some time now thought of cruising for about 10 days in the
Bahamas, departing from Miami in a sailboat. I am by no means an expert
sailor, but I do have a few years of weekend experience. A friend of
mine has a MacGregor 25 sailboat in very good condition that his wife
doesn't feel like having stored in the backyard anymore; hence, he is
trying to sell it. My question is: Is the MacGregor 25 a sturdy enough
vessel to cruise in the Bahamas? Any advice on either cruising in the
Bahamas or the MacGregor 25 is much appreciated. TIA.

- JR

P.S. I also bought the book named "The Bahamas Cruising Guide : With
the Turks and Caicos Islands", but it hasn't gotten to my doorstep from
Amazon.com yet.

In article .com,
"JR Lomas" wrote:

I have for some time now thought of cruising for about 10 days in the
Bahamas, departing from Miami in a sailboat. I am by no means an expert
sailor, but I do have a few years of weekend experience. A friend of
mine has a MacGregor 25 sailboat in very good condition that his wife
doesn't feel like having stored in the backyard anymore; hence, he is
trying to sell it. My question is: Is the MacGregor 25 a sturdy enough
vessel to cruise in the Bahamas? Any advice on either cruising in the
Bahamas or the MacGregor 25 is much appreciated. TIA.

- JR

P.S. I also bought the book named "The Bahamas Cruising Guide : With
the Turks and Caicos Islands", but it hasn't gotten to my doorstep from
Amazon.com yet.

Our previous boat was the Mac 21, probably contemporary with your 25.

I wouldn't hesitate to take it to the Bahamas after I'd inspected it
carefully and replaced the rigging that was at all suspect. (we nearly
lost the backstay one year.)

Wait for weather and allow yourself more time; it's worth it I'm told.

If you can't wait, trail it it to the Chesapeake, which is a great
cruising area for that length of time.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

wrote:
I have stated my opinion on this topic in previous posts and refuse to
be drawn into it again ...

Then why comment?

--
Good luck and good sailing.
s/v Kerry Deare of Barnegat
http://home.comcast.net/~kerrydeare

JR Lomas wrote:
... What's the
definition of "in season" for
the Bahamas?


It varies from person to person. For me it means little chance of
hurricanes. However I know families from Florida who spend the entire
summer in the Bahama Islands and are still around to talk about it.

--
Good luck and good sailing.
s/v Kerry Deare of Barnegat
http://home.comcast.net/~kerrydeare

"Armond Perretta" wrote:

JR Lomas wrote:
... What's the
definition of "in season" for
the Bahamas?


It varies from person to person. For me it means little chance of
hurricanes. However I know families from Florida who spend the entire
summer in the Bahama Islands and are still around to talk about it.

The people who live in Florida think the Bahamas is too cold in the
non-hurricane season. Plus I think a lot of them are power boat
people and they can get there and back a lot quicker.

In the winter instead of hurricanes you have northers which make the
Gulf Stream at best uncomfortable and worst unsafe. So you may have
wind blowing from the north for a considerable time which makes any
kind of restricted time frame much more of a problem. Plus you have
to be ready to GO when the wind clocks around to the south because it
may not be there for very long. IOW the windows may be smaller.


grandma Rosalie

Rosalie B. wrote:
"Armond Perretta" wrote:
JR Lomas wrote:

... What's the
definition of "in season" for
the Bahamas?


It varies from person to person. For me it means little chance of
hurricanes. However I know families from Florida who spend the
entire summer in the Bahama Islands and are still around to talk
about it.

The people who live in Florida think the Bahamas is too cold in the
non-hurricane season. Plus I think a lot of them are power boat
people and they can get there and back a lot quicker.

I agree about the temperature part. Floridians can always recognize a
sunbird: he's the one who goes into the swimming pool in February.

However the folks I was referring to who spend the summer aboard in the
Bahama Islands are often people who work the "season" in Florida (tourist
services) and take the summer off elsewhere.

--
Good luck and good sailing.
s/v Kerry Deare of Barnegat
http://home.comcast.net/~kerrydeare